ISLAMABAD – Fourteen newborn babies have died in a fire at the nursery of Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) in Islamabad, while one baby girl was rescued and survived by her aunt.
The aunt of the surviving infant has described how she rescued the baby herself after learning that a fire had broken out inside the nursery.
In a video statement, she said she went into the affected area as soon as she learned about the fire and carried her niece out to safety.
The woman also alleged that when she entered the area to rescue the baby, she saw a male doctor covering his head and leaving the scene.
Parents of the deceased newborns have also raised serious questions about the incident. They alleged that they had to break the ward’s glass with hammers to enter the nursery and claimed that the staff had left the area.
According to the parents, they were only informed that their children had died. Some alleged that the incident may have been deliberate and questioned the circumstances surrounding the deaths.
The grieving parents also said they had not been shown their children’s clothes and demanded reassurance that the babies had actually died as a result of burns sustained in the fire.
Another affected woman claimed that no doctor or member of the hospital staff came to the scene for about an hour. She questioned how the fire could have occurred without anyone in another ward reportedly suffering even minor injuries.
Health minister’s response
Federal Health Minister Mustafa Kamal said that hospital staff had been present at PIMS despite the holiday.
He said the power supply went out at PIMS after the fire broke out in the nursery.
The minister said relevant authorities were in contact with the parents, while the Director General Health and PIMS secretary were present at the hospital. He added that PIMS Executive Director was also in contact with him.
Kamal said he was travelling from Karachi to Islamabad himself in connection with the incident.
The allegations made by relatives and parents, as well as the circumstances surrounding the deaths, have raised questions that authorities will need to address.
